Conjuration (Worm - Zelda)
by PseudoSim
Summary: Friends are nice... people who can help you get back on your feet, look out for you, teach you. One may be a Tomboy Princess and the other a would be conqueror, but at least its something; and after you've lost almost everything that matters that's what really counts.
1. Chapter 1

Conjuration

#01

Well... Trope #15 was being a complete pain in the ass (about half way there, just not flowing right though) so I came up with this instead. Enjoy.

* * *

This city… rotting… infested with filth and disease.

With a casual step forward he kicked one prime example such of filth out of his way. It made a noise of pain, but it was beneath him, beneath all. It would not help itself, it would not pick itself up and fight back.

It was _nothing_.

Oh, how _simple_ it would be to cleanse this place.

With the strength of this form and the wisdom of this mind it would simply be a minor matter of exerting his will.

Yes, it would be such a simple matter. The city wasn't even many leagues across, hardly a __fraction_ _ of the challenge that seizing control of a whole kingdom had been.

There were the __Heroes_ _ of the city of course... but they were weak, chained and bound by simple __rules_._

Oh how simple it would be to simply sweep them and the rest away. Empowered or not.

But not yet. The Mistress would disapprove of such measures… no matter that she knew them to be necessary within her heart.

She had drawn forth __him_ _ after all. Yes, she would come around eventually.

From around the corner of one of the filthy, decrepit and decaying buildings he walked between a small, dark blue form appeared.

Tiny. Hardly larger than the height of his boot the horned, buck toothed Miniblin chittered and pointed its pitchfork back the way it had come.

But first, she would require protection.

Protection and minions, minions that could forge for her that which could protect her person.

Minions that could _do_ anything, minions that could _create_ anything.

+X+X+X+X+

"Shit!" Scowling, he could only throw the blaster away fast enough as some component within it failed, turned critical and promptly overloaded; sending a out small wave of fiery destruction engulfed a small hoard of the damnable little, pitchfork wielding monstrosities that had appeared out of nowhere and started attacking the Lair.

Both _inside_ and _out_.

Projections. They had to be, nothing else would throw themselves wave after wave at their defenses or possibly go up in smoke when defeated. "Uber! Gun!"

From his left, Jeff cursed; and with the exo-suit powering- and also _enhancing_ -his movements, he reached his arm out and he caught the object thrown to him.

It was _not_ a gun. "I said GUN!"

"I'm out, lost my- fuck! OFF!"

A reverberating vibration rippled through the ground beneath his feet, knocking the little horned monstrosities off their tiny feet and a quick glance back let him see Jeff rising from a crouch; the Halo Three Gravity Hammer they'd been _planning_ to use in there next video held tightly in both hands.

Shit, if he had to pull that out then he really _was_ out of guns. Not Good Not Good Not Good!

A shrill _beep-beep_ from his wrist announced that things were only going to get worse and an alert popped up on his visors Heads Up Display.

No. _Three_ alerts. All in rapid succession.

.  WARNING: NORTHERN SENTRY HAS SUFFERED CRITICAL DAMAGE

. WARNING: NORTHERN SENTRY IS INOPERABLE

. WARNING: NORTHERN SENTRY FAILURE

NOT GOOD!

"Uber! North gate Sentry is down! I think we've got incoming!"

All he got in response was a curse and a frantic swing of his Gravity Hammer like it was a driver, taking out a swarm of the little monstrosities en mass.

Gritting his teeth, he clamped the expandable energy shield onto the arm of his Exo. He activated it and the rainbow colored Jackal shield sprang into existence.

Then, with lunge and sweep of his mechanically powered body he swept away a fresh half dozen green purple red and blue bodied monstrosities.

A number of them flew a good ways and hit the inner wall; exploding into a plume of dark purple smoke.

He scowled, noting that they even died the same. Someone was definitely trying to screw with them.

Rising back up, he raised his arm and shifted into a ready stance. Tensing as he prepared himself for another lunge when a near deafening _BANG_! resonated through the air of the Lair.

There was another, and another, and _another_!

Then the air was split by the shrill screech of metal tearing.

The little monstrosities jerked back at the sound and fled, disappearing into the shadows from whence they'd come.

Another screech of shearing metal and he slowly turned to look at the Northern inner security gate that led to the loading dock, not _really_ wanting to know what came next.

A dark blue armored boot trimmed in gold slowly stepped through jagged rent in the door that nearly split it from floor to ceiling.

Then the rest of the leg, concealed beneath red-brown pants with a zig zagging tribal pattern stitched into them.

But that was it until a pair of dark blue and gold trim gauntleted hands appeared, grabbing hold of the sides of the rent and _pushed_ ; crumpling the metal and giving the rest of the body plenty of room to pass through.

More dark blue armor with gold trim covered the broad chest. But it was the face that drew his attention, it was a face he knew, it was a face both he and Jeff knew _very_ well.

Seven and a half feet tall, dark green skin, firey orange hair pulled back in braids with a neat beard of the same color, a stubby but beak like nose and a gold talisman on his forehead with golden bars spreading out like a sun to a crown of golden triangles protruding from his hair.

Mother Fucking _Ganondorf_.

They were being by the Tri Force fucking blessed, Mother Fucking _Ganondorf_!

Jeff had said the little monstrosities had looked familiar, however; he'd just dismissed it as whoever was being this being a troll.

But~ No~!

 _Instead_ they actually _were_ Mother Mucking Miniblins… Someone in heaven had to have had a major hate on for them to do such a cruel thing to them.

It was probably the hooker things… definitely the hooker thing.

"Hey, Leet?"

"...Yeah?" he weakly answered.

"Remember how I said making a true version of the Master Sword would have been awesome?"

"Yeah."

"We probably should have made a Master Sword."

He didn't get a chance to agree, because at that moment Mother Fucking Ganondorf turned in their direction.

He reached out to his sides, his dark cape billowing out from there clasps on his pauldrons with the simple motion. And in puffs of dark purple smoke a pair of swords appeared in his hands.

A pair of very _large_ swords. A pair of jagged and curved and sharp and pointy swords.

Then Mother Fucking Ganondorf grinned, his yellow eyes gaining a sudden luminosity from within.


	2. Chapter 2

Conjuration

#02

* * *

"-ou savage Brute!" A girls voice exclaimed, snapping me out of my sleep. The voice was excitable, indignant…and _pissed_. "You've gone and brought them here but now what do you think you're going to do with them! What made you think she would have desired this?!"

Yawning, I blinked away the crusties and groaned as I was reminded of the aching in my arms… and my legs… and everything else.

"Want and need… These are two separate things, Princess," a deep voice rumbled. Slow and patient, but firm. "You or I cannot be by her side at all times. And please," the tone changed to bemusement, "remind me how many times I was able to capture you, with _ease_. The Mistress will need protection and forces that she may utilize herself. That are not reliant upon us."

"That's not the point! This place was hidden, she was safe and now you've brought _them_ here and ruined that! It will take me _hours_ to bring the field back up!"

I groaned into my sheets. How wonderful, they were going at it again.

Rolling off my bed I hissed, cringing away a bit as me little piggies met the cool concrete floor. But it was only for a second, and standing up I reached toward the ceiling.

Rubbing at my eyes my mouth stretched into an expansive yawn and my ears popped a moment later.

"-HAH! By all means, call forth your Hero. Those two Empowered were an enjoyable warm up. Go ahead, I would I'd enjoy a good bout."

Ugh, it was like dealing with a pair of children.

Reaching down, I snatched my glasses off the wood wire reel that acted as my nightstand; and rubbing the leftover gunk out of my eyes I slipped them on and stumbled to the crimson curtain that acted as the door to my 'room.'

Parting the thin barrier, I stepped out into the expansive room of the warehouse that made up what was now my home… a sharp dagger of pain rose up in my heart, home…

Sighing, I raised my head high and scanned over the room. Ganondorf was, of course, reclining in the red throne his minions had appropriated from somewhere; clad in his casual robes.

And Zelda was… I cringed as I saw she was barely an arm's length from Ganondorf; an arrow made of light held in one hand, with her cutlass in the other.

The Princess, although one wouldn't have really expected that from looking at her; what with her tan, blond hair tied up in a messy knot and the casual tight tan pants, pink shirt, sleeveless blue jacket and red scarf combo she had going.

But, a Princess was certainly what she was; and Looking her over I couldn't help the pang of jealousy I felt. She came from my power and yet she had such a better figure than me… it wasn't fair.

But… at least I could console myself with the fact that I was at least getting better. With the lean muscle I'd been quickly putting on _actual_ curves.

It wasn't much, but I knew they were there.

Pressing a my a hand to my mouth, I stifled another yawn and looked to what I presumed to be the source of the most _recent_ argument between the two champions of Light and Dark

Two… men? Bound tight with thick ropes and rag gags sitting in a cleared area of floor. The floor, which I realized, there was actually rather little of as the entire area behind them was filled with stacks upon stacks of crates.

The two were watching the argument so intently that they didn't even notice me shuffle up to them. Zelda and Ganondorf probably did, but they knew when I woke up anyway so whatever.

Such a, by now, normal thing wouldn't make them stop bickering.

So standing over the two, I looked them over while waiting for them to realize I was there.

Both had their hair cut short and were in their early twenties… maybe, but beyond that I couldn't tell much other than that as they were so bound in ropes.

Swinging my leg back I kicked the thicker necked of the two in the side. Immediately, his head snapped away from the argument to look up at me.

Reaching down, I pulled at the knot of his gag and the man spat out the cloth; which hit the floor with a wet splat. Ew… and a cold spot on my bare foot told me that I had gotten at least some of it on me.

"Who are you, and why are you here."

"What-," he blinked, "but that's what I should be asking?!"

I nodded, he _did_ have a point. But, "And I asked first."

"Ah- ah I'm not gonna tell you my name and I dont know why I'm here," He jerked his head toward Zelda and Ganondorf, hitting the other man in the process and eliciting a muffled complaint but he ignored it. "My turn to ask a question, you're the master right- so whats up with the comedy act. Is it for the company? Is that why you abducted my sexy self?"

The man waggled his eyebrows and I felt the urge to club him upside the head… repeatedly. But instead I held up three fingers, lowering them as I counted down, "One: It's not a comedy act, Two; I'm not controlling them and Three: I'm not even eighteen so how about _no_."

Gaping like a fish, the man looked between me and the others several times, "Y-you don't… Do you know who they are!"

"Yeah, Dark Lord Ganondorf and Princess Zelda." I glanced over at the pair in question, "And they're bickering like an old married couple… again."

The last bit I said a little louder and said married couple impersonators looked to me, visibly annoyed. But I just shrugged and looked back to the two men. "What of it."

"Wh- what of it?!" The man exclaimed and the other one tried to say something as well but it just came out muffled.

"Yeah, what of it," I parroted before yawning, "I'm tired, I'm sore from sparring with the Princess and I've got to do it again in a few hours so I'll ask again." I leaned in close and enunciated each word to make sure it got through, "Who. Are. You."

The man swallowed, "Ah- um, well Ganondorf already knows who we are so I guess it can't get any worse. I'm Leet, and the meat head is Uber."

Leaning back I looked down at the two men. Combined with what I'd heard Zelda and Ganondorf arguing about, I could put a few things together and understand _why_ they were probably here. Adding in the interest the green skinned man had shown in what a Tinker was able to create it shouldn't have been surprising.

That didn't mean I particularly liked it though, "Is that so? Well I used to watch your show you know, when I finished up my coding assignments early I'd sometimes watch your stuff."

The two men perked up and Leet smiled, "A fan huh, well maybe-"

"And then you guys decided to go around beating up hookers," I cut in and the man's face fell.

"...Oh."

Sighing, I looked to my wrist watch, saw that it wasn't even four yet, and then back to the the two Gaming themed Parahumans.

I sighed again, it was _way_ too early for this. Turning on my heel I shuffled back to my room; ignoring the calls from the Leet and the volume of the argument between Zelda and Ganondorf. And walking right into my 'door' I just kept walking until I reached the bottom of it and it fell back into place.

Taking off my glasses, I carefully set them on my nightstand; then picking up Dad's Big Ben alarm clock I turned the dial on its back to adjust the alarm to go off before setting the scorched metal clock back down.

And with that, I fell face forward onto my oh so comfortable memory foam mattress.

It was- regrettably -stolen, but the comfort… I snuggled into my down pillow before absently reaching up to the line of crates that served as my headboard and snagged a pair of foam ear plugs.

Twisting them and shoving them into my ears was an almost automatic motion; and soon enough, I was luxuriating in blissful silence. Not that they would block the alarm clock of course, Dad had used that thing for years and it had woken me up even when I'd been in my old room. With my door closed… and a blanket shoved up against the door.

But still, the plugs were at least effective in blocking out the frequent arguments between the Princess and the Dark Lord.

They very rarely ever agreed. It didn't matter whether the topic was over this war or that, which policy was best, what action to take…


	3. Chapter 3

Conjuration

Ugh, I hate the summer rush.

* * *

Waking up to the _RING-RING-RING-RING_ hammer on bell sound of Dads alarm was familiar.

Pulling my earplugs out and and hearing the snap-hiss of razor edged steel on razor edged steel, however; most certainly wasn't… had Zelda and Ganondorf's argument really escalated that far?

Hauling myself out of bed, again, I ignored the lingering pains in my body, again; and grabbing one edge of the curtain that was my door. Pulling it aside, I looked out on the main area of the warehouse to see a blur of yellow, blue, pink, tan and whirling steel blur _slam_ into a short haired man wearing jeans and a simple dark grey shirt with a ringing clang of steel hitting steel.

Oh no, that _definitely_ wasn't Ganondorf; he'd made his distaste of most modern clothing known the first time Zelda and I had tried to buy him something so she wouldn't have to use her illusions on him. And I thought it would have been the _princess_ that had expensive tastes.

One quick scan of the room later however showed _him_ sprawled out on his throne, head slowly turning as he tracked the fight.

I flicked my eyes back to Zelda and her combatant; I examining him as he fended off The Princess's pair of cutlasses, noting how his shirt clung to his _very_ well built physique. A little _too_ well, in some place in fact; and focusing on him I noticed the numerous little cuts on his shirt, the darkened sections of cloth around them and dark wetness he was dripping onto the concrete floor. Cuts.

And as I watched, Zelda thrust one of her blades out; sneaking the silver length of razor sharp steel through his guard to slice a thin line in his side which immediately welled up red and darkened a patch of his shirt..

Sucking in a hissing breath through tightly clenched teeth, the man brought his one sword up to bash away Zelda's own before flinched away and skipping a few feet back. It wasn't enough to get out of her range, however; as before he could get too far away a long leg snapped out.

Either not expecting it, or perhaps simply not prepared for it, the surprise attack caught the man square in the chest. And letting out a wheeze as all the air in his lungs was forced out, he flew back from the force of the kick before coming to an abrupt stop as he slammed into the large wood table Ganondorf's minions had scrounged up from somewhere. Scattering the roughly hewn wood chairs that surrounded the conference table sized piece of furniture.

I reflexively cringed away while feeling a bit of pity for them man, Zelda's kicks were never what someone sparing with her would call… gentle; even when she didn't have her boots on. Although at least he'd been moving backwards already, which would have mitigated the blow somewhat, but adding in his hitting his the table like that…

Well I could certainly feel for him.

Walking a bit closer, I was able to see the man in greater detail and recognized him from when I'd woken up the first time... Uber, Ganondorf had captured him along with his tinker counterpart. Leet The back of my neck warmed a little as I remembered his muffled cries of help, along with Leets _actual_ shouts, before I'd gone back to bed.

I watched as Uber tried to rise- and he did, albeit shakily and with the help of the cutlass he was using as a cane -but ultimately he just fell back to the floor in a heap; the weapon falling from his hand. Had he escaped?

...No, that didn't make sense. _If_ he had escaped the chances that he'd actually liberated Zelda of one of her blades was astronomical.

And glancing around the large room I saw Leet, set up at a large folding table that was pushed up against the stacks of wooden crates; his back turned to the rest of the room.

 _He_ wasn't bound any longer and didn't look to concerned and he wasn't harassed by a white body suited Technoblin as it ran up and set something large and silvery down next to him. So that meant they probably hadn't 'escaped' their bindings… they'd been freed then?

I looked back to Zelda, I walked up to her until I was a few feet behind her as she sheathed her swords before bending to pick up her fallen blade. And as she slid that one home she put grabbed at her trapezius, cracked her neck and slowly rotated that arm's shoulder, "So… what's this all about."

Perking up, The Princess looked over her shoulder to me. "Ah, there is no need to concern yourself Taylor. We have reached a suitable arrangement," with her free hand she gestured to Uber's prone form, "this was simply my evaluation of your new Chevaliers claimed abilities."

...My Chevalier? Well that was news to me. "And, uh… how'd he do?"

Reaching out she placed a hand on Uber's shoulder and after chanting for several seconds a white aura enveloped the man before sinking into him. A spell of healing. "He was… surprisingly proficient."

She twisted her back, making it emit several loud pops as her muscles loosened up. "For now however, you would do well to put that out of your mind."

Reaching over Uber to the table, she picked up two raw lengths of wood. Then she closed her eyes, and after a few seconds of whispering they began to glow bright before taking on the shape of a simple, double edged hand-and-a-half sword.

"For now that you are awake it is your turn."

Then she threw one of the swords to me, before it could hit me though I took a step to the right and caught the newly transformed practice sword by its grip; and in the next moment I slid my left foot back, giving me a better footing as I swung my blade up to parry a downward slash from Zelda.

And here we go again.

+X+X+X+X+

I rapidly blinked away the stinging beads of sweat running off my forehead and into my eyes.

I _would_ have tried to wipe it away but that wasn't exactly an option at the moment.

The bones in my arms were creaking, the muscles in my legs were burning and the goose egg growing out of my head was stinging something fierce.

Growling low in my throat I parried a thrust by The Princes- no, correction _Pirate_ Princess. God knows she embodied it well enough.

Then she _moved_ and as my eyes went wide in panic I jumped back, barely avoiding the length of wood lancing through the air toward my stomach.

Batting the overextended blade aside, I deftly turned my own practice blade downward before sweeping it up in a backhand slash.

Smiling, my teacher simply simply swayed in place, weaving around the blade before stepping into my open guard with an impossible grace.

Her smile became a toothy grin and the blond woman balled her hand into a tight fist; rearing it back before jabbing it forward lightning quick and smashing me in the upper jaw with a solid left hook.

Sink or Swim teaching technique my ass, I wouldn't have been surprised if she just wanted to impart the same kind of suffering that her own teacher had subjected her to. She was just enjoying this far more than she should have been.

Doing my best to ignore the stinging pain in my jaw I turned with the force of the blow, spinning; and as I did I realized we were now alongside the table I reached out, snagging one of the chairs and threw it at Zelda when I finished coming about.

The wooden chair _smashed_ into her and now it was my turn to grin. I felt like I'd fallen down a _very_ long set of stairs, my blood was pumping, I could hear my heart pounding out a drumbeat in my ears and I pushed my newly created opening for all it was worth.

Lunging forward in a crude tackle I smashed into Zelda's midsection; and as we rolled to a stop I straddled her stomach and returned her punch with one of my own. Unfortunately she shifted her head at the last second though, and I only managed to get her on the cheek, right under one of her blue eyes.

Pulling back, I tried for a quick follow up but Zelda suddenly bucked beneath me, raising me up and off her. The the double jackhammers to my chest put an immediate stop to any attempt at regaining my hold on her.

Throwing me off my feet, I flew back a good ways before I hit the concrete floor- _hard_ -and I rolled a fair distance before stopping.

Slowly, but as quickly as I could, I rolled onto my stomach and forced myself to rise; the pain in my chest was radiating nearly through the whole of my torso but I shoved it all to the back of my mind in favor of focusing on Zelda.

Just a few feet away, but far enough that I couldn't reach her, she stood; one hand on her hip the other on the pommel of her wooden sword, the tip of which was casually against the floor.

She smirked, and seeing it only made me narrow my eyes at her which in turn made her smirk shift into a grin. "You're learning quickly, excellent." Taking her hand off her hip she held up a single finger, 'Your environment is just another of the weapons you may use when fighting a foe stronger than yourself,' That is was Impa told me and it took me much longer to learn that lesson."

She huffed a little laugh and shook her head, "And that was even with her training me for quite some time before I decided to try hitting her with a chair."

Then she winked and smiled before curling her finger into a hook, "And yarg, ye be learnin ta fight like a real pirate matey."

Put off guard but her sudden shift in attitude and stereotype pirate impersonation I could only blink dumbly at her and my sword dipped to the floor.

Then without any warning she lunged forward, her sword up and stabbing through the air to jab me in the belly.

My heartbeat suddenly thundering in my ears; I again, for what must have been the umpteenth time since the sparring session had begun, was barely able to bring my own blade up in time to bash the surprise attack away before it could connect and parry the follow up slash.

I cursed to myself, sloppy, too sloppy. Any edge on my side that I'd had was now gone and I was barely able to keep up as she drove me back.

Parry again, push, disengage, thrust, block kick with raised leg- off balance, I couldn't get out of the way and the wooden length of Zelda's sword and she rapped the back of my hand.

Hissing in pain, I jumped back to try and give myself a bit of room but Zelda immediately followed; giving me no respite and as she forced me back against the wall to my room I began to grow desperate, and _angry_.

This had gone on for _far_ longer than it had during any of our previous spars.

But she- I paired and kicked out, trying to trip her up but it just earned me another hit; this time to the thigh.

Just wouldnt- I paried and as I put force onto the blade she let off and spun, and suddenly the heel of her foot was digging into my suspected was my kidney; needless to say it _hurt_ , but if anything it got me away from the wall and I was now stumbling back the way we'd come.

Let up- I stumbled back, hobbled and gasping, but I still managed to bring my sword up as the beat of my heart blocked out all sound swung; my wooden blade dashing through Zelda's in a resounding _crack_ of splintering wood.

My mouth opening surprise I moved to follow up even as Zelda dropped the now useless implement, her now free hand darted toward her waist. And just as I made my follow up swing there was hiss of steel and a flash of silver, and suddenly my wooden sword was two feet shorter.

Stumbling forward I could only blink in surprise.

"What-" And then I froze as I felt the razor edge of Zelda's cutlass along my jawline, right under my ear.

All jovialness was gone from her, her face was blank, her eyes boring into mine and holding my gaze; assessing me… just as she had when she'd first appeared.

Then she smiled, "Very good," the sword left my throat and without even looking away she raised it up with its tip to the ground and re-sheathed it behind her back. "It was about time you broke through. Now we may move on and start your real training. Then we shall make some _real_ progress."

A slow, quiet clapping echoed through the expansive room, and the new stimuli made my focus shift away from fighting. I looked to it, expecting to see Ganondorf; but instead it was Uber, sitting on the edge of the table and looking _much_ better than he had been when I'd first woken up.

"That was good fight. And you were right, she's good, and definitely in the level two brute range- if only just." He cocked his head, "The tunnel vision however will definitely be a problem."

I rocked back a little, and it only partially had to do from surprise that he had been evaluating me. I was getting… heavy. And _HOT_.

Zelda hummed, "Indeed, I have something in mind for that however and we shall be addressing it soon enough."

Blinking, I looked to Zelda swaying a little as I did so and then I was falling forward; the concrete floor rising up to meet me.

Fortunately, The Princess caught me; and dragging me over to the table she set me down into a chair.

Limp, I practically poured onto the seat; my legs stretched out in front of me, my arms hanging loose at my sides and my head rolling back to stare at the ceiling. I was like a marionette with its strings cut and it was only after Zelda put her hand to my forehead and chanted a Healing Spell did I regain any form of motor control.

Although in doing so it also made it apparent just how battered and damaged my body was. I felt the cool, soothing balm like effect of the healing magic _everywhere_ ; from the tips of my ears to my toes.

Then the cool balm sensation faded and _everything_ began radiating a dull ache; I couldn't feel anything that felt 'normal.'

+X+X+X+X+

I ended up just laying there for a bit, letting the healing magic do its work with the least amount of resistance possible and just watched Zelda and Uber- or Jeff, as he'd introduced himself as -talk. Training and what he would be doing were two of the main topics, however; a good portion of it went over my head and it just became so much background noise until Leet came up and tapped Jeff on the shoulder.

He hadn't introduced himself yet, but then again he'd been working on the other side of the room and I wasn't _really_ feeling like getting up.

One word, or rather one _name_ , that he said changed that though. _Bakuda_.

That one name stood out from what he was saying like a beacon; I forced myself to sit up and I listened in on the conversation.

"And you're saying much of the city's criminals will be at this meeting?" Zelda interjected.

Leet shifted his attention to The Princess and nodded, "Yeah. Now normally, Uber and I tend not to go to these things and try to lay low when someone stirs the pot like that crazy bitch has, but since were working for you now…"

Trailing off he shrugged, "I'll say this though to clarify, for this kind of meeting it's not just going to be the gangs. Sure, it's pretty much a given that they'll be there in order to save face- but I'd put money down that at least a few Independents and Rogues will be there as well. I wouldn't necessarily count on any Protectorate capes showing, but New Wave will definitely be there.

Looking uncomfortable for a moment the Tinker slowly shook his head, uncertain. "I'm still gathering info and it's unconfirmed, but the bomb Bakuda set off at the clinic, word is that their healer, Panacea, was there at the time."

He absently waved a hand, "As of now it's hearsay, but If there is any truth to it I can guarantee you that New Wave is probably going critical right now. They'll be out for blood."

Zelda was quiet for a moment, drumming her fingers on the table before she frowned and shook her head. "I don't know, there are too many variables. We've kept out of the public eye," she snapped a glare at Ganondorf, who was sitting on his throne and staring into nothingness, "or at least _some_ of us have."

Golden eyes slowly turning toward The Princess, Ganondorf smiled. "The feral dog shouldn't have attempted to bite me," He rumbled. "What was it that you expected would happen."

Letting out an angry sigh Zelda just shook her head and looked back to leet. "You said things were supposed to be neutral but I'm still not-"

"I want to go," I interjected.

I could see where she was going, what her answer was going to be, and she was right; staying out of the public eye and Cape scene until we were completely ready _was_ the smart idea. But that didn't mean it was what I wanted to do.

My hands slowly clenched into fists as the rage I felt far that bitch came bubbling up to the surface.

Zelda looked to me, her eyes softening; not in pity, but sympathy. "Taylor, you don't need to." Next to her, Leet and Jeff shared a look before looking at me. I ignored them though, they could find out later. Right then, all my attention was on Zelda.

"No I don't," I conceded, "but if I can do _anything_ to take her down then so be it. If I- if I don't do-" I choked, and my eyes burned as I swallowed a lump in my throat and pushed everything back.

"After all she's done- No, if had the chance to have done something and hadn't, I know I would regret it."

Ganondorf was notably quiet, and I felt the hairs on the back of my neck standing up but I kept my eyes on Zelda. Just as her's were on me, considering, evaluating, assessing.

After a minute of tense silence she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and sighed. "Very well."


	4. Chapter 4

Since Zelda and Ganondorf had appeared, there were very few times I had ever seen them agree on any particular thing.

But, as it was, _one such thing_ was the idea that Image and Power worked hand in hand; that they were two halves of the same coin.

A well crafted personal image could shape perceptions of someone- just as it had with me when Zelda had appeared in her fancy pink dress, yeah, how surprised I'd been when she realized it wasn't necessary.

With a well crafted Image someone could make themselves appear more or less powerful than they actually were. It could make a weak man seem strong so an enemy would hesitate to attack them, and it could make a strong man seem weak so their enemy would underestimate them.

So, it was for that reason that we approached the location of the meeting under an invisibility field.

Through the opening in the hood of the form concealing robes Zelda had magicked into existence from some sheets, I looked up to the neon white sign over the double door of the building that we were supposed to enter. The sign, proclaimed the building as the Palanquin. A night club owned by Faultline herself, albeit through various shell companies.

Then I looked down to the four armed and armored man that stood guard outside said doors. The men, Mercenaries, with a capital M, belonged to Coil. Or so Jeff had reported when he'd briefed Zelda, Ganondorf and I on what to expect at the meeting. Apparently they he had been using his forces to mitigate the ABB's attacks.

He'd said, that _normally_ these types of meetings usually went down at a dumpy little bar with a fake deaf waitress. But, because the higher than normal volume of people that were expected to show, it was decided a different venue would be more appropriate.

An electric whirr and clicking from my right made me look past Zelda- who was dressed in the same form concealing robes as I was -and saw Leet, or rather Leets remote control humanoid robot… thing, slap Jeff's- or rather, Uber's, since he was in costume -shoulder.

Catching the other man's attention; the tall, scuffed up, dark grey robot pointed one of its long, slender arm down the road to a muscle car roaring- literally, in the case of it's engine -up the street at a speed _far_ beyond the speed limit.

Jeff, dressed much as the mercenaries were only with far more glowy bits, shook his head and muttered something into his sub vocal mic as he followed the vehicle; watching it as tracked the vehicle as it skidded to a halt in front of the nightclub.

Then he laughed, and all of us watched as a dark skinned man in a dirty wife beater, stained blue jeans, red cape- that I was pretty sure was just a bed sheet -and bandanna mask get out of the souped up junkyard car and head to the entrance. He was quickly joined by a trashily dressed blond woman with yet another bandanna mask.

Skidmark and Squealer. The main power behind the Merchants, a group of drug and flesh peddlers that somehow managed to stay relevant in the city; the former could create repulsion fields while the latter was a tinker that Leet suspected specialized in Vehicles.

The Mercs didn't pay them any mind, letting them enter the club without incident. Although, one of the Mercenaries did cringe away in what looked like revulsion.

"Are you ready for this?" A muffled and slightly raspy voice asked from my right and I looked to Zelda, her now crimson eyes looking back at me from beneath her hood and face wraps. "You don't have to do this."

From my other side Ganondorf snorted, but I ignored him in favor of shaking my head. "No," I said, my voice coming out a little muffled as well due to my own face wraps. "I don't think I'll ever be really ready but I _want_ to- I _need_ to."

Zelda stared back at me for a long moment, her eyes softening before she sighed and shook her head- then she stopped, and laughed a little laugh. "Very well then."

Looking away, she bowed her head and began quietly chanting; it was a gentle, melodious sound that I was only able to understand bits and pieces of it.

She finished after only a minute, and raising her head she looked from left to right. "Is everyone ready?"

Several noises of confirmation later she nodded, and as she slipped her hand out of her robes I stood straight, raising my head high as I looked back the Palanquins front double doors. For a few seconds I watched the Mercenaries standing guard, there heads panning back and forth; their hands resting on their assault rifles.

It wasn't even a second after Zelda snapped her fingers to dispel the invisibility field did they lock onto us, their heads snapping in our direction as one and two of the Mercenaries brought their weapons partially up. They weren't pointing them at us, per-se, but they were holding them at the ready and it wouldn't take very much for them to be.

This, was part of the plan that I hadn't been entirely sure about.

Five people suddenly appearing in front of armed guards that were most likely a little high strung due to an insane bomber on the loose, that had seemed like a recipe for an accident just waiting to happen.

Or, more likely, it was a recipe for someone to get _shot_.

But Ganondorf had made the point that the intimidation factor was undeniable, and Zelda had- surprisingly -agreed with him; testifying with her own experiences that someone appearing out of nowhere was a 'Powerful Image.'

So with that in mind we stepped off the curb and into the street; quickly closing on the night club as one of the Mercenaries put there hand to the side of their head and looked away.

The other Mercenary that wasn't holding his weapon at the ready stepped forward as we crossed the faded yellow stripes in the middle of the street and brought his hand up, palm out and politely asked us to state who we were.

Ganondorf simply snorted in derision, and with a few extra long strides he broke off from the rest of us; ignoring the Mercenaries second request for him to wait.

Keeping my steps measure so I stayed with in line with the others I simply watched as he advanced on the men, noticing just how much bigger he was than them once he'd gotten close.

Easily, he stood head and shoulders over them and it was hard to miss how he- quite literally -dwarfed them; towering over them by two feet at the most and easily a foot at the least. And in the smoke black silk suit he'd commissioned from Parian- because quite literally _nothing_ we'd brought him to wear instead of having to use Zelda's illusions had been satisfactory -he cut quite the striking image.

Just as the Mercenary came within arms reach of Ganondorf he put his hand to the side of his skimasked head, nodded, and stepped aside; the rest of the men doing the same not a moment later. Internally, I let out a small sigh of relief that they hadn't tried to stop him, or, god forbid, _fired_ on him.

Walking past the Mercenaries without a care in the world, the with the soles of his dress shoes clicked on the curb as he stepped off the street. And reaching his black gloved hands out Ganondorf threw open the double doors.

+X+X+X+X+

The inside of the Palanquin was fairly well lit when we entered, however; for how large the room before us was, it was obvious that only half of the overhead lights were on. This caused long, dark shadows of inky blackness to have formed from the thick wood beams spread out evenly on either side of the large room before us.

No, the primary source of illumination was from an expansive area situated in front of a small stage. It was there that everyone was gathered in a loose circle.

And as the doors swung shut behind us almost all of them turned to us, watching, judging, evaluating what kind of threat we could pose.

The weight of the attention was oppressing; but shrugging it off as best I could I focused on keeping myself composed and projecting an image of confidence as we approached the gathering area.

Slowly, the examining stares petered off as we reached the meeting area and when we settled in to wait Jeff broke off from us. And following him, I saw him make a beeline to a woman dressed in what could only be called a Riot Dress.

The all black combination of little black dress, riot gear and karate pants was certainly an… interesting combination, and with the large welding mask over her face I was able to recognize her from Jeff's briefing. Faultline.

Looking away from them, I began scanning the assembled Parahumans; trying to put the names Jeff had mentioned to faces- or rather, masks.

The closest group, with a total of five capes, was the Empire Eighty Eight contingent. Headed by Kaiser in his sword themed armor who was in turn flanked by the blond, valkyrie themed sisters Fenja and Menja. And behind them were two others.

Storm Tiger and Victor respectively. Stormtiger was an Aerokineticist that could muffle and throw sounds, make claws of compressed air and make explosions out of said compressed claws. Victor however, _he_ ; Uber had said not to approach or allow to be touched by under no circumstances or else you risked him being able to steal your skills from you.

Past them, was a group of two men in red and black costumes and a… thing, with the red and black streamers hanging from it. Looking at it, I could only think that it was what a Lovecraftian abomination crossed with a jellyfish and a horse _might_ have looked like.

Definitely something I would have remembered had it been in the briefing. _They_ were a complete unknown.

I quickly moved on, lest I start thinking in non euclidean geometric shapes, and turned my gaze onto a rail thin man standing off on his own in an almost skin tight black bodysuit that was sporting a snake motif that curled up from his leg to his head. Coil, one of the main SuperVillains in the city next to Kaiser, Lung and Skidmark.

It was somewhat up in the air as to whether the man even had any powers or not. But even if not, the skill of the Mercenaries under his command and the fact he was still active indicated that he was at the _very least_ highly a highly capable person.

Past him were the… _Eugh_ , my stomach churned and I couldn't avert my eyes fast enough as Skidmark reached down the front of Squealers much too short short shorts. Instead I focused on one of the more eye catching pairs. Although, whether they had come here together was up in the air since they could have been just talking, comparing notes maybe on being _big_. In fact, looking at them I had to wonder if there was a side door since they were so big that I wasn't sure if they could have fit through the front door.

Sitting on the floor, with one huge metal arm of his crude power armor resting on a knee was Trainwreck. The other… the other I couldn't place and was pretty sure was someone new.

Dark red skin almost the exact the color of dried blood, six black eyes spaced out across the front of a semi human-ish looking head which sat atop an oversized upper body- which included equally oversized arms. Its lower body was almost lacking in comparison, with just a pair of stumpy legs; and looking at it, I was reminded of a Gorilla.

And it had a chain, one taken off a ship in the boat graveyard from the size of it, draped across its torso bandolier style. It absently waved a hand twice the size of my head and as I watched it shifted, changed, as black scales spread out along its hand.

It proffered the now changed hand to Trainwreck and suddenly its face split in half, revealing a maw filled with teeth that looked an awfully lot like a sharks… I blinked as the image burned itself into my memory.

Yeah, how about _no_. Seeing that was something I just did _not_ need, especially not when I lived in the same building as someone who thought that randomly bringing forth his pitchforked little monstrosities to 'keep me on my toes' was a good idea.

Oh, the Miniblins had taught me to keep on my toes all right. They had taught me how to spin about in a split second and kick the little monstrosities like they were soccer balls before they could poke me with their tridents. It had gotten old fast and now I was pretty sure he had started doing it for a sick amusement.

The next in line were of the more normal variety criminal. The Undersiders, a relatively new crew that specialized in smash and grab jobs.

Jeff had mentioned there being four members. Tonight however, there were only two. A tall man clad in black motorcycle leathers and had helmet a skull on its front- Grue -and a blond girl in a black and purple skintight outfit with a simple domino mask- Tattletale.

The rest of the capes in the room were much more clustered together in such a way that I was unable to get a good look. Though of those number, there were a few that I did recognize. If only because they were a bit off to the side; talking.

Parian, the Victorian doll themed clothier was one. Lady Photon, the unofficial leader of the failed New Wave movement in a white bodysuit with a multi colored star spreading out from her chest was the second. And Brandish, off to the side in her own white bodysuit with crossed blades was the third.

As I watched, Brandish stepped up, placing a hand on her sister's shoulder and she shook her head. Parian looked to Lady Photon to her, then… slumped, her head lowering a bit and she looked away before turning from the two women and drifted over to one of the beams; leaning back against it as she settled in to wait.

Following her, I glanced back to the Lady Photon and Brandish- and in doing so I almost missed Faultline.

Walking to the center of the dance floor she clapped twice, the sound echoing off the the room and bringing a halt the low buzz of conversations. "Alright, people it's time we got this underway. But first off, I would like to thank Coil for providing the extra security for us tonight."

"It was no problem, I doubt any of us would appreciate being blown up." The man in the snake themed body suit replied, confirming my suspicion. Something about him though was simply… off putting. I couldn't put my fingers on it.

"Quite. Now secondly." Faultline cast her gaze around, looking to each of the groups and individuals, "I'm seeing some new faces in the crowd here so I'll go over the ground rules so that we can all walk out of here alive."

"Right!. I don't care who you are, what grudges you may have or if you think yourself the second coming of Scion." Her voice resonated through the room, her tone wasn't arrogant. She was just… certain, sure of herself. I'd heard the like of it twice before, from Ganondorf when he'd proclaimed that simply because I had summoned him would he be subservient to me. The second time had been from Zelda, when she had told him she would kill him if he did anything she found worthy of such a punishment.

Thankfully that hadnt happened yet, with the more esoteric things they could pull off I doubted the warehouse would have survived. Much less the ones surrounding it.

"If any of you try to start shit, then you _will_ be dealt with for violating the neutrality of this meeting. _Is that understood_." She cast her gaze around again, "If you have a problem with that then you can get the hell out."

No one made to leave or even move but even as Faultline looked about at those in attendance Ganondorf growled. It was a low sound, nearly inaudible but thanks to my proximity I heard it, along with the quiet creaking of his leather gloves.

I didn't move or say anything to him, as keeping in character, but I was thankful he relaxed a moment later and I focused my attention back on Faultline.

"Alright then. I was contracted to call this meeting so that we may declare a moratorium all all conflicts between each other until we can deal with our mutual problem. Namely, the psychopath that had taken charge of the ABB and has been blowing civilians up all across the city. Bakuda, she needs to be stopped or put down. At my last check the current death toll was close to reaching the triple digits, if it hasn't already. Neither the PRT nor the Protectorate have the capacity to deal with this, that leaves things to us before things can escalate even further. Now, does anyone have anything they'd like to contribute?"

Clearing his throat Coil took a small step forward. "I have it on good authority that PRT higher ups are considering imposing martial law and sweeping the city if this isn't dealt with soon enough. That means the the PRT will come in force. The problem however lies in the National Guard detachments that will be inevitably sent, volunteer soldiers that will shoot at the first person in costume that they see and sort things out later. I don't think an explanation is needed about why that is something to be concerned about."

There were a few mutters of agreement from the around the dance floor and someone cleared their throat. I looked to the sound and saw Tattletale stepping forward, "I've been thinking about it for a while and I'm pretty sure that the last few days bombings, including today's, have all been schadenfreude or a distraction. She's either planning something or building something and has been setting off the bombs to keep the heroes from focusing on finding her." She closed her eyes for a moment before grimacing, "And another thing, during one of our groups first hand encounters with her I can say for certain she has a hidden detonator and a dead man's switch on her person."

A number of muttered curses echoed around the room but one rose above them all, if only, in part, due to how vulgar it was.

"And how tha' fuck'd you know that fucksleeve."

Flicking my eyes to source of the crude remark I stared at Skidmark before looking back to Tattletale.

She leaned back before smirking, "I'd fucking know that because she splattered one of the poor fucks she put a bomb into all over me the other day, that how. And it's called common sense, now why don't you actually contribute something you cum dripping asshole." The response was sharp, but even as she straightened her back I could see her hand shake before she curled it into a tight fist.

Laughing, Skidmark pointed at Tattletale. "Well, fuck you too tiny tits. You want some contribution? Well some of my boys saw her and your dog bitch haulin a buncha' shit through our turf on her monsters." Then he grabbed his crotch, "How's _that_ for contributing."

Faultline rounded on Tattletale, "Well?"

The blond villain looked to Faultline and shook her head. "I don't know, maybe…" She drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out," The last I saw of her she was going to check on some of her dogs, I figured she'd just left town." She stepped back, and as she did I saw her hand shake for a moment before something dripped from it.

"I see… and does anyone else know someone who's gone missing or that they haven't heard from?"

From the corner of my eye I saw Parian push away from the beam and take a shaky step forward into the light. "Um… I don't know anyone but I think she tried to come after me. Before she blew up my store someone threw something through the window, it… it felt like being hit with a dozen low power tasers all over" She gestured a hand to her dress, "I can only assume though that she didn't account for fabric I had at my disposal and all of my layers. I had a fair bit of fabric at my disposal so that may have been it."

Slowly, several others stepped forward and said they hadn't heard from a few capes they knew and hadn't been able to get in contact with. The total tally came to five capes, five capes missing that may or may not have been turned into walking bombs and forced to work with a psychopath.

Digging my fingers into the wrappings around my palms I focused on the present; using the what Zelda had taught me to shunt all the memories, rage, and hate that were bubbling up into a little corner of my mind. It was only partially successful.

"Very well then, thank you all for speaking up-"

"Enough." Ganondorf suddenly rumbled, cutting off Faultline mid sentence and looking up to him I saw the slits in his mask illuminated gold while he began to radiate an aura of malice. An _actual_ aura of purple energy that radiated off of him like smoke from a fire and I felt a warm reassurance reach out to my thoughts. Zelda, reminding me she was there and ready.

"The first time you touched my mind I had been willing to overlook the slight, suspecting it to perhaps be something you could not control. _However_ ," Ganondorf intoned, his voice colored with unrestrained anger, "with this second attempt I am unwilling to overlook such a slight. Not minutes ago, the proprietor laid out the rules of neutrality that were to be abided by... and you have broken them. Disgraceful… for one such as you, I have only one response."

Faultline started, "What-"

A wet, sucking sound cut her off and my, along with everyone else's, attention was drawn to the Empire Eighty Eights group; even the E88 capes themselves turned to the sound. Then as one, the Valkyrie Sisters raised shield, sword and spear and moved between Kaiser from the armored shadow that had suddenly appeared in their midst.

Tall, composed of the darkest blacks and trimmed in the lightest of blues The Shadow stood at eight feet tall in armor and a bull horned helm. And in its gauntlet covered hand was the hilt of a sword made of more blue trimmed shadow; the curled blade of which was stuck through Victors back and piercing through the center edge of his breast plate.

It wasn't actually a shadow though, because I distinctly recognized as Ganondorf's Phantom.


	5. Chapter 5

Her eyes were drawn to a source of movement from her right, she tracked the Empowered clothier- Parian -as she separated from Brandish and Lady Photon and settled against one of the numerous wooden beams that helped to support the ceiling. Briefly, she flicked her gaze up to the rafters above making note of any electrical wiring that would potentially hamper moving about in the spacious area.

But then she flicked her gaze back to the girl, dressed as she was in enough layers to have satisfied the court dressers, any ques to be gleaned from her body language were almost non existent. However, simply because she could not see the girls body did not mean she could not see her mind… and on the inside, she was in turmoil.

Sadness-Confusion-Anger-Despair among many others swirled about and confounded the girl. Perhaps, Ganondorf's suggestion to acquire her held some merit, if only to help the girl… although, having Taylor approach her would likely be for the best given her suspected age.

Her musings were cut short however as from her peripheral she felt Faultline and Uber turn away from the bar. Uber rejoined them, coming to stand next to Leet's construct; while Faultline strode into the center of the cleared space, her step and stance confident as she drew everyone's attention to her and began speaking, establishing the rules of neutrality and the conditions that those present were to abide by.

It was then that she felt the probe- for lack of a better term -approach, the crude torrent of mental energy surging through the metaphysical realm before deflecting off her before deflecting off her mental barriers like an arrow off a shield. It came back again, but the effect was the same and it retreated.

Watching it, she split her attention she followed the probe back to the breast plated man of the False-King's retinue. Victor, the Skill Thief as Uber had called him.

That he would attempt to use his power while under the rules of neutrality was troublesome; and after considering it for a moment, she took an outer layer of her own mental barriers and wrapped them about Taylor's mind.

She was confident that the girl wouldn't notice, for the time being at least. However how long that would be was in question, the girl was adept at learning, she'd absorbed what she had to teach her with such ease that it wouldn't be much longer that she could feel such things. Her Breaking Through would only advance the process.

Shifting her main focus back to the world at large she listened as the other Empowered spoke up about their own encounters with the Villain that had been terrorizing the city. Even the Bloody Ogre- as she had named it in -spoke up; its voice surprisingly human as it recounted how its family had been killed during the initial bombing spree.

It was then, that she reached out to touch its mind that she found it to be human. Drowned in Sadness, tired and very Angry yes; but a human nonetheless. He had simply used his power to change himself to escape the shame of his failure.

And for not the first time, she considered whether the powers these people had been granted could even have been considered a boon or not; for all the chaos they seemed to have caused.

It was as the independent Heroic and Non-Combatant Empowered concluded their testimonies and Faultline drew the attention back to herself that she felt the probe strike out once more. But not at Taylor, nor herself, nor any of the other Empowered; but instead at Ganondorf.

She tensed as the Lord of Darkness didn't simply deflect it, but instead seized it in a vice like hold of mental strength and began to flex his power.

She turned to where the power was gathering just in time to see the ethereal blade of his phantom pierce through Victor's chest; and even as people began reacting, she drew one of her four blades with her left hand while letting the rope dart hidden up her sleeve slowly unravel and fall into her right hand.

The two warrior women standing guard spun and placed themselves between the False-King and Ganondorf's Phantom. The atmosphere in the room grew tense and heavy as a number of the Empowered gathered themselves, readying for a fight. And then it increased, as the Phantom pulled its blade from Victor's back and with a single swipe removed the man's head from his shoulders.

There were a few startled sounds and someone emptying their stomach. But a roar of unbridled fury drowned that all out as the barechested and tiger masked man of the False-King's retinue leapt at Ganondorf, claws of air reaching out.

Ganondorf didn't even look in the man's direction, instead simply raising his left arm; palm out to him. Watching, she felt a flicker of his power and then a shield of glittering darkness appeared between the two of them and Stormtiger bounced off, slamming into one of the beams before collapsing to the floor.

He wasn't out though and he shifted, dazed but still awake as he used the beam to help himself rise to his feet.

But before the man could push away, however; several globs of clear fluid splattered against his arms and legs; sticking the limbs fast to whatever surface they were against. Soon enough, the material turned opaque and the man was soon struggling just to even move his arms.

He was immobilized, and from her peripheral she saw several more globs fly at Ganondorf and solidify around his shoes. She stopped, eyeing the material as it turned opaque.

Quite honestly she doubted it would hold him, but at least he didn't resist out of hand and cause more trouble. Instead he simply stood there, his arms crossed over his chest once more.

She looked to the source of the fluid.

Shirtless, and fat like a ripe pig. Bald, with gelatinous skin that was littered with dark formations; and as he stepped under a light she was able to see his skin was actually translucent, with his bones and internal organs showing in stark relief.

Gregor The Snail, one of Faultlines compatriots and a type of amnesiatic Empowered that often had some sort of monstrous mutation.

"THAT IS ENOUGH!" Faultline shouted and reaching to her back she smoothly pulled out a short, one bladed sword that was just as long as her forearm. It appeared to be of good make, but by itself wasnt very threatening; combined with the power Uber had said she possessed, however; it was an all to deadly implement indeed.

She pointed it toward Ganondorf, who simply crossed his arms over his chest and stared down at the woman. "You just _executed_ a man in my club," she said, her voice cold and her stance deadly serious, "explain yourself. _Now_ -" She suddenly looked to the False-King, "And you can wait Kaiser."

The False-Kings fingers twitched and he looked down at Faultline, "You expect me to just-"

"Yes," Faultline interjected, cutting him off, "I expect _exactly_ that."

Watching her, she saw the fingers on the woman's free hand twitch in Ganondorf's direction and a moment later she heard a quiet creaking from above; flicking her gaze up she saw another of Faultlines mutated Empowered. This one another man in just a pair of shorts, his skin a bright luminescent orange; but more strange than that he had a thick tail waving behind him as he crept along the crossbeams to overlook the False-King's retinue.

Ganondorf snorted, but thankfully he acquiesced to Faultlines demand. "As I stated, the thief attempted to invade my mind and seize what was mine. And did you not say those who broke the neutrality would be dealt with?" He asked, turning the woman's earlier statement back on her.

"As much as I doubt what you claim, there are properties that we abide by. Vicktor knew them, he would not simply have-"

"Oh that is a complete load of bullshit," Uber growled out, his voice modulator giving his voice a rasp. Stepping away from them, his head cocked in the False-Kings direction and she saw that he had his large pistol drawn and tapping it against his thigh.

"You wanna talk about your peoples _propriety_ , then how bout _I_ talk about the time Vicktor hired me for a job just so he could steal the body language recognition skill I was using." He laughed a cold, bitter laugh; and as he drummed his fingers on the grip of his pistol the muzzle suddenly began glowing a bright, ominous blue.

"I couldn't go out in public for _months_ because of what he did, I couldn't tell whether a mom with a stroller was about to kill me or give me a fucking hug. So fuck you and fuck him. He was a parasite plain and simple and if you're gonna get pissy over your man getting what he deserved then _you_ should have kept him on a tighter leash."

The False-King growled at the insult and his fingers twitched again but he made no moves. "All lies, you're just a failure. A C-Ranked nobody."

Uber simply shrugged, accepting the insult but- from how his fingers tightened on his gun -not particularly appreciating it. "Im also a C-Ranked nobody who can calculate the proper drop trajectory that would let me pop your head like a watermelon... so I think I'm fine with that."

The tension in the room increased yet again at the veiled threat and it was almost a relief when someone cleared their throat. "They're telling the truth," a girls voice suddenly added, and she looked over to Tattletale; who was simply looking between her, Uber and Ganondorf. The hairs stood up on the back of her neck as the girls gaze suddenly passed over her and she grinned. "He also tried to go after the one in the robes," the girl nodded in her direction and she narrowed her eyes as the unsettling sensation began anew, "the one on the right."

She then nodded to Viktors decapitated corpse, "Also it looked like he was riding high or something. Just throwing it out there."

Slowly, Faultline turned to look over her shoulder at Tattletale; keeping the gaze for a long moment before the girl shrugged.

"This is a complete farce." The False-King bit out, "One of my men has just been killed without any provocation. If you think I will just-"

"Yes actually, I can think that." Faultline interrupted, turning away from Tattletale to face the False-King. "Tattletale may be a smart ass that tries to live up to her name at every opportunity, but that doesn't mean she's wrong most of the time... and as it happens, I agree with her." She shifted her sword away from Ganondorf and in his direction, "Viktor had enough of a reputation that I wouldn't have put it past him to try and use his power when no one suspected it, I know for a fact that he their is a MIT professor currently on permanent stay at a psychiatric hospital because he spontaneously _forgot_ nearly forty years of his life. I guess it was just a _coincidence_ that Victor was in town at the time."

She shook her head just a bit, "So yes, I do expect you to deal with it. Your man couldn't hold himself in check and that his failing, as well as _yours_."

The False-King looked around at the other Empowered, all of whom simply stared right back. It was obvious he'd lost any support that he may have had when Ganondorf started this mess. He looked at Ganondorf, anger-indignation-rage radiating off him as his fingers twitched.

"Dont even think about it Kaiser. If you can't control yourself, then _leave_."

Slowly, a long claymore with a stylized bird guard grew out of his gauntlet and and he gripped it tight; looking over everyone one final time.

There was a sudden swish of fabric as Skidmark stepped into view, his cape flapping behind him as he stopped in front of Faultline and Gregor; raising a boxy gun in the False-King's direction and waving his hand to create a shimmering blue field over the floor. "Just try it shit cracker, I haven't gotten yer white ass back for bustin up some of my boys last week."

Snarling, whether at the fact that a man of dark skin was challenging him or that he'd lost; he spun around and stabbed the point of the sword once, into the material that held Stormtiger's arms in place against the beam, then again into the material around his feet. Barking out an order, the barechested man stepped into line behind him and as a group they stalked out of the building; only Fenja and Menja pausing to pick up Victors remains.

The room was silent as the double doors at the entrance of the building slammed shut.

"Good fuckin riddance," Skidmark grunted and stomped back to Squealer, from what Uber had said of him his actions didn't quite coincide to what he'd said the man was normally like; and looking at him, she felt Satisfaction-Pride-Lust… Curious, she focused on that last one, Lust; wondering what was causing it.

But she quickly saw the reason as once he was next to Squealer he slapped her on the rear, eliciting a high pitched squeal from her and she rubbed promptly against him, turning the tense atmosphere somewhat awkward and uncomfortable until Tattletale laughed.

"Man, its a good thing Stormtiger didn't realize that it was you who killed Hookwolf eh?"

Almost as one, everyone looked to Tattletale, then to Ganondorf who simply snorted. "A rabid dog that was indiscriminate in whom it struck out at without considering its surroundings or what may happen? It was the least it deserved."

Much muttering from the rest of the people present followed that. But she stared at Tattletale, there were only a few people who had been on the street when the steel maelstrom of blades- that they'd only later found out to be Hookwolf- had appeared and started destroying a building with asian characters on it.

Stormtiger had been there, along with another that had wielded a pair of small sickles. This girl, however; had not.

Tattletale met her gaze, holding it for a long moment while the people in the room incrementally calmed relaxed as Faultline restored order. She reached out, Smugness-Pride-Satisfaction were the dominating emotions that girl was feeling. But below them, buried deep and only lightly shading her thoughts, Desperation-Anger.

The girls eyes widened and she snapped her eyes to the side before the Black Leather clad Grue.

Trepidation, was the dominating emotion she felt now; but beneath that was Hope-Uncertainty… She turned her attention away from the girl and to Taylor; while keeping the what she'd felt from the girl in the back of her mind.

She touched at the mental barrier she'd put in place around Taylor's mind; noting, with some surprise as she touched at it, that it had not degraded and had begun to establish itself.

Curious, but perhaps she was unknowingly drawing upon the connection that bound her to Ganondorf and Herself.

Setting the curiosity aside as well however; she turned her main focus on the physical world as Faultline Raised her hands, bringing silence to the room and Ganondorf drawled a response to the woman.

Her form giving nothing away Faultline sighed, "This still doesn't settle the matter that you acted out of hand, as the mediator of this meeting you should have brought it to my attention that he was attempting to use his power on you."

"And would he have faced equal punishment for what he attempted to do to me?" Ganondorf rebuked. "There is little else that would have settled things aside from his death."

Faultline just shook her head, "You may have been the claimant but that wouldn't have meant it would be up to you to decide his punishment. You move to the killing option much too quickly for my taste."

Ganondorf simply stared back at her, the eyes holes of his mask gradually dimming. "And you too slowly for mine."

The two stared at each other for a moment longer before Faultline shook her head. "You understand that Kaiser will come after you don't you? Maybe not during the until after Bakuda is dealt with but he will."

"Then he is welcome to try."

She had to swallow the frustration that began bubbling up as her counterpart said that and Faultline began steering the meeting back on track. Now, with someone likely to be _actively_ searching them out she would have to push Taylor even more… It really wouldn't have surprised her if somehow he'd planned it this way.

The rest of the meeting fortunately passed without further issue, however; that didn't mean there wasn't a lingering tension that made things rather difficult and uncomfortable and it was when she approached the New Wave representative that she realized what kind of light Ganondorf's actions had painted them with.

"Pardon me." Quieting, the two sisters turned from each other to face her and she nodded to Brandish. "I hope I am not interrupting, however I was looking to inquire on the condition of your daughter. I had heard she was at the site of one of Bakura's explosions and I thought I would lend my assistance in the event she required a healer."

The two exchanged a glance and their stances shifted, becoming more guarded. "You can heal people?" Brandish asked.

"Among other things."

The two sisters shared another look, and this time it was Lady Photon to speak. "We appreciate your offer however Panacea was not affected by the blast."

"That is good to hear. And no, I do not mind so long as it isn't too intrusive."

Lady Photon pursed her lips and nodded, "If you can heal people, then why do you associate yourself with a man that is willing to kill in cold blood?"

Of course it would be something along the Black and White, Good and Evil, world view the that the 'Heroes' of this city seemed to confine themselves to; shying away from killing a threat even when it would be necessary. "I associate with Mandrag due to circumstances outside of my control- for the most part at least. Were things different, he and I would likely be facing each other on other sides of the board... As for my healing it is only one thing among many that I am capable of- but regretfully I am not nearly as adept at it as your daughter. My efforts would be better used in other fields..."

Glancing over her shoulder she looked to the pool of blood on the floor, "And if I am to be frank. The end result of Victor's actions would have been the same had he been able to invade my mind, if only in a cleaner fashion than my compatriot chose. But no matter what I would not have let him leave here with any knowledge he stole from me."

Brandish frowned and narrowed her eyes, "And there would have been no other solution?"

"No," She told them bluntly, "because in the improper hand they would be dangerous at best and catastrophic at worst. They are... not the sort of things that one can simply know without the associated learning behind them."

The sisters shared a concerned look and this time Lady Photon took lead. "We are _quite_ certain that Victor is-" She shook herself, "Or rather was, unable to steal powers."

She simply shook her head. "What I am referring to lies outside the scope of Parahuman abilities." Shifting her hand under her robe, she extricated a slip of paper from one of her suits discrete pockets and slipped her hand through the slit at the front of her robe.

"Here, for if you wish contact us." Staring at her, confusion evident on her face, Lady Photon looked down at the slip, then back up to her before tentatively accepted the bit of paper. And with that she turned on her heel, her robe swirling about her for a moment as she walked back toward the rest of the group where they were waiting by the front doors.

+X+X+X+X+

The short trip back the warehouse was uneventful. There were no ambushes nor any surprises, however; that didn't mean she hadn't been tense the for the entire time they'd been out in the open, Imperception Field or no.

After what Ganondorf had pulled it would have been par the course for a criminal that had been shamed like the False-King had been.

Fortunately, upon reaching the warehouse she hadn't had to reaffix the fields and barriers that hid and protected the location from the dangers of the city; thanks in part to Greg, who had acted as an anchor for them while piloting his remote construct.

Only after transferring the anchor back to herself did she let herself relax, and climbing up onto the table she sat down, crossing her legs and setting her hands on her knees as she descended into the depths of her meditative sleep.

And so it was through a dark and empty void of her resting mind she floated, ethereal streamers of all colors composed of memory drifted by occasionally. Asside from that, however; it was just her, alone and at peace… just as she had been each and every other time she had been here upon closing her eyes to rest.

But this time it wasn't to be, as a sultry, feminine laugh suddenly shattered the by then familiar silence and echoed throughout the void. "My, when I felt your spirit awaken I never thought I would find you in such an interesting place as this."

Whipping around, she searched for the source of the voice but froze as she felt the warm touch of someone's breath on her ear.

"And to think, that the tale I spun of your legend would catch on in such a way."

Slowly, a pair of pale blue arms snaked around her shoulders but she pulled away; and drifting forward a bit she spun around to come face to face with Midna's smirking visage.

Crosslegged, with her elbow on her knee and chin in palm, the voluptuous orange haired Twili Queen stared at her; the other worldly womens crimson eyes half lidded as she stared her up and down.

"How…"

The Twilight Queen's crimson eyes softened as she smiled. "Oh Princess, what you did- what you _gave me_. Such a thing will always leave a mark on the spirit, even on one such as mine."

She narrowed her gaze on the other woman while feeling out for the source of whatever was projecting her image. "Youre not real."

Midna simply smirked and floated around her, a length of her hair snaking out which formed into a fist with one finger protruding that she trailed over her shoulder "Yes, I can see how you would think that wouldn't you- with the situation you've found yourself in. Really, aside from myself I never thought that anyon-"

Stopping mid word, Midna's crimson eyes flicked to the side and she cocked her head as if to listen. Then she smirked, the corners of her purple lips turning up just a bit to expose her sharp canines.

"It seems your protege has started without you Princess, better see to her before she accidentally hurts her retainer."

Then the Twili winked and she was gone, disappearing as quickly as she had appeared and only moments later ringing of steel on steel began to echo throughout the void

Slowly, she drew in a deep breath; and concentrating, she cautiously reached out into the void around her for any sign of Midna. Or, at the very least, what had appeared to be Midna. She found nothing.

Then she exhaled, and she opened her eyes to see Jeff flying backwards through the air in front of her with his arms crossed over his chest with one of her knives held in a guard position. She touched at her thigh, and grimaced as she felt two empty sheaths; then Taylor leapt by, following him with another one of her knives in hand.

She sighed as the ringing of metal on metal started up again and she she stood she idly wondered how long she'd over rested. A quick glance up at the sunlight coming in through the windows that ran along the edge of the ceiling told her it had been at least an hour at minimum.

Twisting; she cracked her back, neck, legs and arms with one fluid motion. Then shaking out, she deftly unsheathed her two remaining blades; and absently, as she stepped off the table and advanced toward Taylor and Jeff, she wondered why her dreamless sleep had turned as it had to the fictional queen of the Twili.


End file.
